Time controlled container



April 24, 1962 P. VOGT 3,030,795

TIME CONTROLLED CONTAINER Filed July 8, 1960 as 51 2o 11 n n ws we 1Paul \/o r BY I 9 QUJM/QW/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,030,795 TIMECONTROLLED CONTAINER Paul Vogt, Les Hauts-Geneveys, Canton of Neuchatel,Switzerland, assignor to Ebauches S.A., Neuchatel, Switzerland FiledJuly 8, 1960, Ser. No. 41,661 Claims priority, application SwitzerlandMar. 24, 1960 11 Claims. (Cl. 70-272) The present invention relates to acase adapted to contain consumable articles such as cigarettes or thelike, comprising a timing device mounted in the case and acting, afterhaving been set and wound, on a device adapted to lock the case in sucha manner that when the case is closed, it can be opened only at the endof a lapse of time determined by the said setting, the said timingdevice being mounted within a pivoting lid adapted to close the case. Inaccordance with the invention, the setting and winding device of thetiming device comprises a toothed sector loosely mounted on the casebody and cooperating with a stop spring also mounted on the case body,and the timing device comprises a toothed control member normally inmesh with the said toothed sector and coupled by means of a gear trainwith a winding member for the main spring of the timing device, thewhole being arranged in sucha way that when the lid is being closed,after the desired lapse of time has been set, the said toothed controlmember rolls on the toothed sector immobilized by the stop spring,whereas when the lid is completely closed, the stop spring is disengagedfrom the toothed sector which is brought back to its starting positionby the toothed control member, which is now driven by the timing devicerunning during the said predetermined lapse of time.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the timing device.

FIG. 2'is a cross-sectional view along the line II--I I in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View along the line IIIIII in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the timing device, at an enlargedscale.

The cigarette-case illustrated in the drawing comprises a case body 1and a lid 2 which is freely pivoted on a pin 3. The pin 3 is fixed to ametal plate 4 secured to the case body 1. On the pin 3 is also freelymounted a toothed sector 5 carrying a graduation from to 6, one of thesenumerals being visible through an opening 6 of the lid 2. The toothedsector has a side notch 7 adapted to cooperate, as explained later, witha tooth 8 of a stop spring 9 fixed to the metal plate 4. The case body 1is adapted to receive cigarettes, the cigarettes being freely arrangedin the body 1 or being contained in their original package torn at itstop. The lid 2 has a locking button 10 fixed to a spring 11 the lug 12of which may snap under a shoulder 13 of the case body 1. The spring 11is bent as shown in FIG. 2 and its end remote from the lug 12 isattached to a support 14 of the timing device, the support 14 beingpreferably made of a plastic material. The locking button 10 is carriedby a locking bar 15 guided between guide pieces 16 carried by the innerupper face of the lid 2. The function of the locking bar 15 will beexplained below.

A timing device, described hereinafter, is mounted within the lid 2. Itpresents a main spring and a setting and winding device, and is arrangedin such a way that, after having been set and wound, it acts on thelocking button 10 so that the lid 2 can be opened only at the end of apredetermined lapse of time, selected by the user.

aeaarss Patented Apr. 24, 1952 All the gears of the timing device arepivoted between two pillar plates 17 and 18 interconnected by pillars 19 traversing the support 14 and thus holding the support 14 in position.The lower pillar plate 17 is covered by a thin plate 20 closing the lid2 and forming a dust cover, in order to avoid that tobacco particlesenter within the mechanism of timing device.

In the support 14 is slidably mounted a setting rod 21 (FIG. 3) carryingat one of its ends a winding pinion 22 integral with a setting button 23and at its other end a winding wheel 24. A coil spring 25, bearing onthe support 14 and the winding pinion 22, surrounds the rod 21 and tendsto push the rod 21 towards the left in FIG. 3, but the axialdisplacement of the rod 21 is limited by the fact that the winding wheel24 strikes against the support 14.

Between the pillar plates 17 and 18 is pivoted a shaft 26, calledcentral shaft, on which is loosely mounted a crown wheel 27 havingcontrate teeth 28 over a little less than half its circumference. Theteeth 28 of the crown wheel 27 are normally in mesh with the windingwheel 24 carried by the setting rod 21. The crown wheel 27 has on itsupper face a recess 29 in which is received a ratchet wheel 30 keyed onthe central shaft 26. A leaf spring 31, fixed in the crown wheel 27, hasits free end engaged in the teeth of the ratchet wheel 30, as shown inFIG. 1. On its periphery, the crown wheel 27 has a radial notch 32adapted to receive the inner end of the locking bar 15, as explainedlater on (FIG. 1). By the side of the notch 32, the crown wheel 27presents a catch 33 adapted to cooperate with a tongue 34 bent up fromthe upper pillar plate 18 for limiting the movement of rotation of thecrown wheel 27 upon running of the timing device. A second tongue 35,also bent up from the upper pillar plate 18, serves, in connection withthe tongue 34, to guide the inner end of the locking bar 15, as shown inFIG. 1.

On the central shaft 26 is keyed, in the vicinity of the lower pillarplate 17, a toothed wheel 36 forming the first wheel of the train ofgears of the timing device. The wheel 36 drives the train of gears 37 to44, the wheel 44 being the escape wheel which actuates a spindle 45carrying a balance or vibrator 46. The spindle 45 is milled so as topresent two teeth (FIG. 1), so that it can oscillate in the manner of analarm hammer when the escape wheel 44 is rotated. As already said, allof the gears 37 to 46 are pivoted in the pillar plates 17 and 18.

In the hub 47 of the crown wheel 27 is fitted a hook 48 to which isattached the inner end of a main spring 49, the other end of which isfixed to the support 14 in a non-illustrated manner.

The winding pinion 22 is normally in mesh with the teeth of the toothedsector 5, as shown in FIG. 4, and a circular opening 50, made in thewall of the lid 2, is provided for the button 23. In the embodimentillustrated, both openings 6 and 51) are interconnected, so that one ortwo teeth of the sector 5 and of the winding pinion 22 are Visible fromthe outside (FIG. 4). The button 23 is the only element that projectsout of the lid 2 and it is possible to set the timing device merely bymeans of the said button 23.

The support 14 of the timing device is provided with an extension 51(FIG. 4) with which cooperates a lug 52 of the spring 9, as explainedbelow.

The timing device illustrated and described operates as follows:

Let us first suppose that the main spring 49 is released and the lid 2is closed. The crown wheel 27 is in the position shown in FIG. 1, thatis to say its radial notch or entry 32 faces the inner end of thelocking bar 15. Therefore, if the button 10 is pressed, the inner end ofthe locking bar 15 can penetrate into the notch 32 of the crown wheel27, and the lug 12 of the spring 11 is disengaged from the shoulder 13of the case body 1. The lid 2 can therefore be opened and turned aroundthe pin 3. Let use suppose now that the numeral is visible through theopening 6. The winding pinion 22 is in mesh with the teeth of the sector(FIG. 4) and remains in this condition when the lid 2 is being pivoted,so that the sector 5, loosely mounted on the pin 3, is driven with thelid 2, However, the stop spring 9, which was originally in the positionshown in FIG. 4 when the case was closed, the lug 52 resting upon theextension 51 of the support 14, is moved to the left of FIG. 4 under theaction of its own elasticity when the lid 2 is being opened, so that itstooth 8 enters the notch 7 of the toothed sector 5. If the lid 2 ispivoted through a rather large angle, the tooth 8 of the spring 9 leavesthe notch 7 of the sector 5, but falls again therein as soon as the lid2 comes back into its almost closed position.

In order to use the device, the locking button 10 is first pressed andthe lid 2 is opened. The setting button 23 is then pressed against theaction of the restoring spring 25, so that the winding wheel 24 isbrought out of mesh with the teeth 28 of the crown wheel 27. The settingbutton 23 is maintained in depressed condition and the lid 2 issimultaneously rocked until the button 23 faces the desired numeral ofthe graduation of the sector 5. By way of example, suppose that thebutton 23 faces the numeral 4 of the sector 5, which means that theselected lapse of time is 40 minutes and that the cigarette-case mustremain locked during that time. When the button 23 arrives opposite thenumeral 4, it is released and the lid 2 is closed again. During theclosing movement of the lid 2, the sector 5 possibly effects first afree movement until the tooth 8 of the stop spring 9 enters the notch 7of the sector 5. On further rotation of the lid 2, the sector 5 isimmobilized by the stop spring 9, so that the winding pinion 22 rolls onthe sector 5 and is rotated by an angle which is proportional to theselected lapse of time. The winding wheel 24 is therefore also rotatedand rotates the crown wheel 27, so that the main spring 49, attached tothe hook 48 fixed to the crown wheel 27, is wound by an amount which isproportional to the selected lapse of time. During the rotation of thecrown wheel 27, the leaf spring 31 slips on the gullet teeth of theratchet wheel 30, due to the fact that the crown wheel 27 is rotated inthe clockwise direction of FIG. 1 and the ratchet wheel 30 isimmobilized because the wheel 36 is permanently in mesh with the trainof gears of the timing device. As soon as the crown wheel 27 has beenrotated by a certain angle, its notch 32 ceases to be opposite thelocking bar 15, and therefore the locking button 10 can no longer beactuated. The cigarette-case is therefore locked. At the end of theclosing movement of the lid 2, the button 23 is again facing the numeral0 of the graduation of the sector 5 (FIG. 4). At the moment when the lid2 is completely closed, the extension 51 of the support 14 acts on thetooth 52 of the stop spring 9 and therefore disengages the tooth 8 fromthe sector 5 (position illustrated in FIG. 4).

The apparatus is now set and wound. Under the action of the main spring49, the crown wheel 27 tends to rotate in the counterclockwise directionof FIG. 1 and therefore to drive the ratchet wheel 30 through theintermediary of the spring 31. This movement of the ratchet wheel 30 istransmitted to the central shaft 26 and to the wheel 36 which thendrives the train of gears 37 to 44 of the timing device, and the escapewheel 44 causes the balance 46 to oscillate. While the timing device isrunning, the crown wheel 27 rotates the wheel 24 and therefore thesetting rod 21 and the winding pinion 22, so that the latter rotates thesector 5, which is now free, in the clockwise direction of FIG. 4, untilit has again assumed its initial position, i.e., in the example chosen,the position in which the numeral 4 is facing the button 23.

At the end of the selected lapse of time, the catch 33 of the crownwheel 27 strikes against the tongue 34 of the upper pillar plate 18, sothat the crown wheel 27 comes to a standstill and the timing device isstopped. The radial notch 32 of the crown wheel 27 is again facing theinner end of the locking bar 15, so that the locking button 10 can beactuated in order to open the lid 2. The user can now take a cigarettein the case. If he closes again the lid 2, the same process as justdescribed is started again. It will be seen that the setting position ofthe button 23 is remained unchanged. If, therefore, a given timeinterval has been chosen once for all, for instance 40 minutes, theapparatus remains set for that interval. If the user wishes to changethe time interval, he can do that when the lid 2 is in opened condition.

While the timing device is running, the user can ascertain at any timehow much time remain until the case can again be opened. The settingbutton 23, assumed to be placed on the division 4 (corresponding to 40minutes) of the graduation of the sector 5, is displaced during thewinding operation up to the numeral 0 of the sector 5, and while thetiming device is running, the button 23 is displaced in oppositedirection and finally comes back opposite the numeral 4. Therefore, ifthe user sees, while the timing device is running, that the button 23 isfacing the numeral 3, for instance, he knows that he must still wait 10minutes to open the lid 2.

It results from the preceding that it is impossible to open the casebefore the selected time interval has elapsed. On the other hand, thecase must be open if the device is to be set. It will thus be seen thatthe device illustrated and described enables the smokers to voluntarilyreduce their consumption of cigarettes, by a mechanical and/orpsychological aid. The same apparatus may be used to help certainpersons to limit their consumption of other products, such as alimentaryor pharmaceutical products, which may have a detrimental effect on theirorganism.

By modifying in an appropriate manner the movement of the timing device,it would be possible to provide a maximum running period of the timingdevice different from 60 minutes.

While I have described and illustrated one embodiment of my invention, Ido not wish to unnecessarily limit the scope thereof, but reserve theright to make such modifications and rearrangements of the several partsas may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a case for consumable articles having a pivoting cover section anda container section, a latching mechanism for fastening the coversection to the container section, and a time control means for thelatching mechanism whereby the latching mechanism releases the coversection from the container section after a selectable lapse of time, thetime control means being arranged within the cover section, theimprovement in which the time control means includes a setting andwinding mechanism comprising a toothed sector loosely mounted on thecontainer section and a stop spring also mounted on the containersection and cooperating with said toothed sector, the time control meanscomprising in addition a toothed control member normally in mesh withsaid toothed sector and operatively connected with a winding member forthe mainspring of the time control means, the whole being arranged insuch a way that when the cover section is being closed, after thedesired lapse of time has been selected, said toothed control memberrolls on the toothed sector immobilized by the stop spring and winds themainspring of the time control means by an amount which is proportionalto the selected lapse of time, whereas when the cover section iscompletely closed, the stop spring is disengaged from the toothed sectorwhich is brought back to its starting position by the toothed controlmember, which is now driven by the time control means running during thesaid selected lapse of time.

2. A case as claimed in claim 1, in which the toothed sector bears agraduation partially visible' through an opening of the cover section.

3. A case as claimed in claim 1, in which a setting rod is slidablymounted in a support of the time control means, said rod carrying at oneof its ends said toothed control member connected with a setting buttonprojecting out of the cover section and its other end a winding wheel, arestoring spring tending to push the setting rod into a position inwhich said toothed control member is in mesh with said toothed sector.

4. A case as claimed in claim 3, in which the time control meanscomprises a central shaft on which is loosely mounted a crown wheelhaving contrate teeth over a portion of its periphery, said contrateteeth being normally in mesh with said Winding wheel carried by saidsetting rod.

5. A case as claimed in claim 4, in which said crown wheel has a recessin which is received a ratchet wheel keyed to said central shaft, a leafspring secured to the crown wheel having its free end engaged in theteeth of said ratchet wheel.

6. A case as claimed in claim 4, in which said crown wheel has on itsperiphery a radial notch adapted to receive a locking bar of thelatching mechanism, said locking bar being connected with a lockingbutton.

7. A case as claimed in claim 4, in which said crown 6 wheel has a catchadapted to cooperate with a stationary part in order to limit themovement of rotation of the crown wheel when the time control means isrunning.

8. A case as claimed in claim 4, in which a toothed wheel is keyed tosaid central shaft, said wheel constituting the first wheel of the geartrain of the time control means.

9. A case as claimed in claim 4, in which said crown wheel carries ahook to which is attached the inner end of a mainspring for the timecontrol means, the other end of said mainspring being attached to astationary part of the time control means.

10. A case as claimed in claim 1, in which a stationary part of the timecontrol means has an extension adapted to act on a lug of the stopspring when the cover section of the case is completely closed, in orderto disengage the stop spring from said toothed sector.

11. A case as claimed in claim 1, in which said toothed sector has anotch adapted to receive a tooth of the stop spring during the windingoperation of the mainspring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,613,527 Harris Oct. 14, 1952 2,618,956 Hanna Nov. 25, 1952 2,681,560Shuttleworth et al June 22, 1954

